Act I: Gangbang Gordon– Do you wanna Gangbang Gordon? I sure hope so. Gangbang Gordon is the product of endless, gruesome hours spent alone in a bedroom with the Black Lips, Jay Reatard, Nobunny, and Ty Segall. Three years and hundreds of songs later, tonight is GG’s night. GG appears on stage wearing a blonde hair wig, black shades, a crooked Cornoa hat, a pair of blue jeans, and a tard shirt, ready to destroy the PA’s Lounge with unbelievable outsider, tard rock. GG’s vocals are mumbled, but they fit perfectly with his simple, “what the fuck is a chord?”, guitar strumming. He rocks through his set rather quickly, rocking so hard he leaps off the stage (in a humorously planned stunt), playing on the floor on his knees, and similar awkward antics ensue. My favorite moment is when he randomly brandishes a recorder for a few seconds before tossing it aside, deeming the instrument as unworthy. Thee (outside of) outsider finishes his set claiming that there will be no encore. Good, to have an encore after Gangbang Gordon is like asking for sloppy seconds. When one sees or listens to this man, you have to ask yourself, is it all a joke? At the same time, even asking this question means you are taking rock and roll too seriously. Isn’t it all a joke? I don’t know. GG certainly thinks so. In any case, I hope more kids hop on the gangbang.

Set List:
A) Damn Shame
B) Wanna Go
C) Same Meat
D) Slide Into Mountain
E) A Place To Cool Off
F) Do You Wanna Gangbang Gordon?
G) I Can Testify
H) Ping Pong With Natalie Pietrzak
I) The Breeze

Act II: The Roaches– The Roaches keep the garage rock flowing, but this time with much more musical chops. I have never seen the Roaches, but I have been meaning to for about a year. In fact, Glen and I actually met Eric and Joe Roach at PA’s Lounge, nearly two years ago during an epic Nobunny show. Great times! and the great times would continue on this evening. As I pound back a few more beers, the Roaches unleash a fiery performance filled with Oblivians esque garage rock. I love the guitar sound; these guys have some seriously great guitar riffs rolling. The bass is equally raw and the drums are fast and pouding. It’s a sweaty set that demolishes what is left of my hearing.

Act III: Atlantic Thrills: Atlantic Thrills is a fantastic way to conclude our evening of fun, garage rock and roll. In the past year I have seen them a few times now and each time it truly gets better. With the Thrills, the small crowd, really take it up a notch. People are dancing and moshing, singing their lungs out, the whole nine. Simply put, having fun. It is a classic Thrills set: psychedelia, fast rock and roll, slow ballads, and unmatched odes to the Black Lips and the King Khan & BBQ Show. They open with the strong rocker and one of my favorites, “Give It Back.” “Shotgun” and “On My Mind” are also stand outs to me personally. The set concludes with two classics. The first being an unexpectd, Los Sacios cover, “Demolicion,” which is the equivalent to injecting steroids for a garage rocker. The song instantly gets the KLYAM & friends rockin’and singing along! The final number is Thrills classic “Acid Rain,” the perfect way to end the night.

GG seems to me to be eccentric enough to be able to take credit for what he does out there without the implication that such is derivative of other acts and so suggesting that he’s just a sort of blender in which KLYAM favourites are pureed and then poured out on stage is I think unfair to him. It’s just my observation. No, this is not meant as flattery! Remember that when you are eccentric out there it must be your own eccentricity natural to you because people can see if it is false.